MARIA

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“THAT REALLY WAS INCREDIBLE! I always knew you used to be an exotic dancer but tonight you totally blew me away,” Rockwell exclaimed after Shirley rejoined our circle.

I had to agree with Rockwell. Shirley’s dance on top of the piano had been spectacular. I looked, admiringly, at my new friend.

Talking to Shirley made me realize that we had a lot more in common than I could ever have imagined. She used to be a dancer in a nightclub and that was where she met one of Rockwell’s good friends one night. A very rich businessman who owned several large construction companies.

Shirley hit it off with the rich businessman and they married soon afterwards. The marriage turned out to be a happy one and it would probably have lasted a lifetime, but sadly, her husband died of a heart attack two years after they were married.

He left all of his money to Shirley and even though she was now one of the wealthiest women in New York, she never forgot her roots and where she came from.

“I have to agree! Everyone was staring at you while you were dancing. It was an amazing thing to watch,” I said.

“Oh, don’t be silly, it was nothing. I’m sure you could dance just as well as me and perhaps, even better if you gave it a try.”

“I could never do something like that with everyone looking at me,” I said. But before Shirley could argue with me, the piano started playing a very lively tune and Fin’s girlfriend walked to the middle of the room and started doing some crazy dance routine.

Her moves were very impressive and she even did some gymnastics, but I thought that it was way over the top and not as classy as Shirley’s dance had been. When it was done everyone screamed and cheered and went crazy. I guess it was the kind of thing which would go down well at any wild party, but I still thought Shirley was a better dancer.

Fin’s girlfriend smiled at us as she walked by, looking very satisfied with herself.

“I guess that just goes to show that bad taste never goes out of fashion,” Shirley said.

“Why don’t you do a dance for us, Maria?” one of the other guys in our group asked and before I could say no, everyone else also chimed in, begging me to dance.

I wanted to run away and hide.

Rockwell touched me lightly on my shoulder. “I’d be happy to dance with you.”

I thought about all the evenings I used to spend at home with my mother, after my father died, and how we used to dance together. My mama was an excellent dancer. She knew various dance styles, Salsa, Merengue, Bomba to name a few, but her specialty was the Tango.

We used to dance it for hours and if there was one thing I knew how to do, it was how to tango. “If you have a male partner who knows what he’s doing the tango is really very easy,” she’d say.

My mind involuntarily flashed back to the first and only dancing competition I ever took part in as a young girl. Mama had been teaching me some intricate dance steps and when the announcement came that there was going to be a dance competition at our high school, she suggested I take part in it.

I was far too shy and uncertain of myself to enter the competition and I never thought I would be able to dance in front of people.

My mama, unbeknownst to me, entered me for the competition and told me about it when there were only three days left before the big day. It was too late. I couldn’t back out. And even if I could, I wouldn’t have wanted to let Mama down.

Mama assured me that there was nothing to worry about because she had arranged for a very experienced male dancer to dance with me. The man, whose name was Rogelio, was someone from my mama’s extended family in Puerto Rico and he was going to fly in for the competition. But he wouldn’t be arriving until the day before the competition which would leave us with no time to practice.

The whole thing was rather absurd but I went along with it for Mama. She worried about me all the time and wanted me to engage in something, anything other than moping around the house on most days.

She said that Rogelio danced exactly like she did, as they had often danced together when they were younger.

I was absolutely horrified and couldn’t sleep during the days leading up to the competition.

The day finally arrived.

The high school gymnasium was packed and I considered running away. My stomach twisted and turned and I was sure I was going to vomit from nerves.

Rogelio looked splendid in his black and white tuxedo, which helped to ease my anxiety.

We quickly practiced a couple of steps together while we waited for the first couple to finish their dance.

When the announcement finally came that it was our turn, I panicked but Rogelio took my hand and led me onto the gymnasium floor.

When the music started, Rogelio took me in his arms and we started moving to the rhythm of the song.

Mama was right. Rogelio danced exactly the way she did and it was very easy for me to follow him as he led me around the dance floor.

As we neared the end of the dance, I started feeling very confident and even thought that we might have a chance of winning.

But then, disaster struck!

Rogelio held out his left hand for me, and before I could take it, I tripped and fell forward onto the floor.

What was meant to be the climax of our dance turned into an absolute disaster. I immediately felt a rush of tears. I picked myself up and ran out of the gym, cursing myself and Mama.

That was the last time I took part in a dance competition or in any public dancing, for that matter.

“So, will you dance with me?” Rockwell asked.

People were looking at me, expectantly. I had a choice to make.

I could run away and forever wonder what might have happened if I had taken the chance to dance with Rockwell, or I could jump on the opportunity and just let it take me wherever it was going to take me, good or bad.

I looked at Rockwell and wondered just how well he could dance. “Do you know how to tango?”

His face lit up. “I certainly do. Don’t tell me you know how to tango because if you do, watch out, here we come!”

“Come on, Maria, do it. It’s just a party. No pressure on you at all!” Shirley exclaimed.

“Go on, show them what you can do,” Sally said from behind me.

I squeezed her hand. “Okay, I’ll do it!”

There was an immediate sense of expectation in the air as everyone waited to see what was going to happen next.

The pianist took a sip of brandy and then hit the ivory keys.

“May I have this dance?” Rockwell asked, holding out his hand.

“You may,” I said.

We stepped out onto the center of the floor which the guests had cleared for us.

I was absolutely astounded to discover that Rockwell was light on his feet and incredibly agile. He led me effortlessly around the floor.

I found myself back on that gymnasium floor. I held my breath and prayed that tonight would not end the way that night ended so long ago.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Fin and his girlfriend watching me.

The look on Fin’s face was something which I will never forget. It was almost the same expression he’d had when he saw me driving away in the Ferrari with Shirley, only this time there was also a tinge of admiration mixed in with it.

His girlfriend was also watching and the expression on her face was far easier to interpret. It was one of sheer jealousy and I could see that my little impromptu dance performance with Rockwell had totally taken her by surprise.

Everything was going very smoothly and I was just beginning to relax when Rockwell moved himself into a position which suggested that he was going to try that move with me, the one which had gone so wrong at my high school dance competition.

I looked up at Rockwell and there was something so incredibly friendly and warm about his expression that it made me forget all about the high school disaster and I relaxed.

I decided to just go with it and lean back into Rockwell’s left arm when the moment came. I figured that the worst thing that could happen was that we could both land sprawled out on the dance floor. No big deal.

Rockwell looked at me one last time and then stretched out his left arm behind me as the music reached a crescendo. Without thinking about it, I leaned back and basically let go of everything, my inhibitions and of all the hurt I’d felt after the high school competition when everyone laughed at me.

For a moment, I felt as if I was flying and floating through the air. Rockwell held onto me with a rock-firm grip. I smiled and then the music ended.

The entire place erupted in applause and cheers.

I looked over at Fin. He was clapping and yelling, “Yeah, well done!”

His girlfriend whispered something in his ear and motioned up the staircase, but Fin ignored her and kept cheering.

I realized that I had effectively erased the terrible memory of my high school dance competition.

“That was fantastic,” Shirley said.

“I’m so proud of you,” Sally said, giving me a big hug.

“I am happy to say that you are the best dancer with whom I have ever had the pleasure of dancing,” Rockwell said.

“Thank you, you weren’t too bad yourself,” I said, smiling.

My heart started beating wildly when I saw Fin walking in my direction. What was Fin going to say to me? What if he decided that I had overstepped my boundaries by performing in front of his guests? What if he fired me?

“You certainly have some explaining to do. Why didn’t you tell me that you were such a magnificent dancer?!” Fin said and gave me a big hug in front of everyone.

He smelled wonderful and I felt safe in his strong arms. Perhaps things between Fin and me were going to be okay.

“That certainly was a nice little dance,” Fin’s girlfriend said.

I expected her to send me back to the kitchen to go and get her a drink.

“Why don’t we all go outside to the marquee tent where the rock band is playing?” Fin said.

“I think that’s a great idea, but I am so tired after that dance with Maria that I think I will just stick around here and have a couple of drinks,” Rockwell said.

“I think I will also stay here. You go ahead, Fin. Go dance with your maid,” Kelly said and winked at Fin as if expecting him to stay with her.

“Have it your way,” Fin said to Kelly. Then he turned to me, “Maria, would you like to join me?” Fin asked.

“Absolutely.”